Chaining device.



P NTED JMAR 5. 1 07 H. B. ARDEN;

GHAINING DEVICE. APPLIGATIQN'I'ILBD JAN. 15; 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

emu: PETERS 60-. WAsnlNamu. u. c.

HARRY B. ARDEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CHAINING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patch.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed January 15, 1906. Serial No. 296,162.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY B. ARDEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chaining Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an article of this class which may be easily and securely secured about any irregular body, such as a rock or stone, and will then form a perfect sling for said stone, which will securely hold it until released, and finally to provide means for automatically releasing said stone from the sling when a release-cord is pulled. This object is realized by my invention, certain embodiments of which are hereinafter set forth.

- For a more particular description of my invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, lorming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the simplest embodiment of my lnvention. Fig. 2 shows a hook and connecting-chains. Fig.

3 shows my invention with an automatic release. Figs. 4 and 5 show the catch and re leasing-bolt somewhat enlarged, the two views being taken at right angles to each other. Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views showing the mechanism for releasing the bolts, Fig. 7 being taken on the dotted line of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the ar rows.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, in this structure my improved sling 1 hangs from a bucket 2, which is supported from any suitable hoist 3. The precise manner in which this sling 1 is suspended is immaterial. This sling 1 consists in this instance of a ring 4, from which hang three chains A, B, and C, each of which are provided with ordinary hooks 5, let into these respective chains about midway of their lengths in each instance. The precise form of link and. hook is immaterial, provided the hook may be made to engage any link in an adjacent chain. A satisfactory construction is indicated in Fig. 2, where the hook 5 has a large eye, which the links 6 and 7 engage, and this hook 5 engages a link 8 of the next chain. The same result could be accomplished ii the hooks were at the end of each chain instead of the middle or intermediate ot the ends. The manner in which this sling 1. is formed about a stone 9 will now be described. The ring 4 is placed centrally over the stone 9 and the chains A, B, and C conveniently distributed, and the ring 4 is lowered until the hooks 5 are below the bulge of the stone. One chain below the hook say A-is then brought to the hook 5 of the chain B, as indicated. The chain end B is similarly attached to the hook 5 on the chain C, and the lower end of this chain then engages the hook 5 on the chain A. If any readjustment is necessary, it is then made; but this is generally unnecessary, as enough skill is easily acquired to make the right connections the first time. In all instances the chains are kept tight. When the sling is completed by securing the last hook, the stone may be raised, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The stone may be released by unhooking, and generally in the embodiment of .my invention just described this must be done by slackening the chains, which cannot be done while the stone is in the air, so that it must be lowered until supported independeiiitly of the sling, when these chains and hooks may be released manually. This obvious disadvantage incident to releasing is entirely overcome by my automatic release, which is shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 and which I will now describe. In this embodiment the hoist 10 has the usual hook 11, from which is suspended a chain 12, with a ring 13 at its lower end, and the ring 13 has the chains D, E, and F pending therefrom in a manner similar to the chains A, B, and C from the ring 4. Let into the middle of these chains D, E, and F are automatic hooks 14, much more complicated than the hooks 5. As these hooks 14 are all identical, a description of one will answer for all. Each comprises a metal plate 15, with flanges 16 bent at right angles, so that the whole forms a substantial U-plate in cross-section. The flanges 16 are periorated, so as to permit the transverse bolts 17 and 1.8 to pass through, as shown. The bolt 17 has an ordinary eyelet 19 secured thereon and which engages a link in the chain. The bolt 18 also has a similar eyelet 20 secured in the same manner and which in turn connects with a link in the lower part of the chain. There is also pivoted 011 the bolt 18, between the ends of the eyelet 20, a catch 21, which is substantially as shown and passes through slots 22 and 23 in the plate 15 and also under a bolt 24, which is held in place by suitable guides and 26. This bolt may be spring-actuated but for ordinary purposes gravity is suflicient. A stop 27 limits its movement either up or down, and it is raised by a cord or wire 28, passing through an eyescrew 29. The cord 28 extends to a ring 30 on the chain 12, which has its movements limited by the bent bar 31, secured to the chain, as shown, and on which is mounted a bellcrank lever 32, fulcrumed at 33, as shown. The shorter arm 34 of this lever 32 engages a lug 35 on the ring 30 when the longer arm 36 is pulled over by a cord 37. Ordinarily the weight of the ring 30 and its attendant parts is suflicient to return the longer arm 36 to its normal position, but if not a recoil-spring may be used.

From the foregoing the action of this automatic release will be readily understood. The stone 38 is secured in the sling in substantially the same manner as the stone 9, the catches 21 being arranged to pass over or through any of the links of the chains, as desired, and are secured under their respective bolts 24. The sling may be unmade by pulling the cord 3'7 which, through. the ring 30 and bent lever 32, pulls the cords 28, raises thebolts 24, and releases the catches 21,which in turn release the chains D, E, and F, and it makes no difference when this cord 37 is pulled whether these chains be tight or loose-they are re leased in any case and the sling is unmade.

It is obvious that the precise details of construction are not material. Ropes or cables could be substituted for chains and the hooks be correspondingly changed. Furthermore, the sling could be formed of more than three chains, and where larger and regular blocks are gotten out such changes may be sometimes desirable. For these reasons I do not regard my inventio. as limited to the precise structure shown and described, but as broad enough to cover all structures that come Within the scope of the annexed claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a device of the class described, a ring, and a plurality of chains each having fastening means about the middle of its length.

2. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a number of chains, each of said chains being provided about the middle of its length with fastening means, and means for releasing said fastening means.

3. In a device of the class described, a ring and a plurality of chains suspended therefrom, each of said chains being provided with a hook about the middle of its len th.

4. In a device of the class described, a ring and a plurality of chains suspended therefrom, each of said chains being provided with a hook about the middle of its length, each of said hooks comprising a catch, means for supporting the same, and. a bolt for holding or releasing said catch.

5. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a number of chains, each of said chains being provided about the middle of its length with a hook, said hook having manually-controlled and automatic means for releasing a chain.

6. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a number of chains, each of said chains being provided about the middle of its length with a hook, said hook being provided with a supporting-plate to which the chain engaging part is pivoted, and manually-controlled means for releasing said chain-engaging part.

Signed this 12th day of January, 1906.

-HARRY B. ARDEN.

WVitnesses G. IRA ARoNow, O. E. EDWARDS, Jun. 

